Card processing apparatus



Jan. 17, 1961 E. A. KNEFEL CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24. 1959 L 5 I- 4 wwmmwww m W mmmmum /da km/ Jan. 17, 1961 E. A. KNEFEL 2,968,480

CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed April 24, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 17, 1961 E. A. KNEFEL CARD PROCESSINGAPPARATUS T Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 24, 1959 Wgq/ arwgj E. A. KNEFEL CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS Jan. 17, 1961 Filed April 24, 1959 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 17, 1961 E. A. KNEFEL CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 24, 1959 Jan. 17, 1961 E. A. KNEFEL CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 24, 1959 Jan. 17, 1961 Filed April 24, 1959 E. A. KNEF EL CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 CARD PROCESSING APPARATUS Emanuel A. Knefel, Manhattan Beach, Calif., assignor to The Magnavox Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a cor poration of Delaware Filed Apr. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 808,824 12 Claims. (Cl. 271--39) The present invention relates to information storage card processing apparatus, and it relates more particularly to an improved feeding-stacking station for use in such apparatus for sequentially feeding discrete storage elements, such as cards, to a transporting means for processing and for receiving cards from the transporting means after the processing has been completed. The term cards is intended generally to cover a plurality of different types of discrete elements, such as plates, panels, boards, and the like.

The feeding-stacking station of the present invention is of the type in which the cards are held in the station in a stacked condition within a removable magazine. The magazine itself may be held, together with a plurality of other similar magazines, in a suitable file block. The invention is primarily concerned with the provision of an automatic mechanism in the feeding-stacking station by which a magazine of cards may be mechanically selected from the file block and moved into position in the station. When the selected magazine is in position, it is mechanically opened so that the stacked cards held in it may be sequentially fed to an appropriate transporting means for processing, as mentioned above.

After the processing of the cards, they may be returned to the magazine in the same feeding-stacking station, or they may be returned to another magazine in a similar feeding-stacking station. When the receiving magazine has received the cards, the mechanism of the invention may be controlled to return the magazine to its file block.

The feeding-stacking station of the invention finds utility in a type of data processing system in which information is stored in digital or other form on a plurality of separate cards. Each of the cards, for example, may be provided with a number of positions and each position may be capable of storing a multi-digit binary number.

The information may be stored on the individual cards in the form of discrete magnetic areas of one polarity or another. Conversely, the information may be stored on the cards in the form of hole patterns in each card, or in the form of photographic representations, or in any other appropriate form. For any one of the different forms of recording, it is merely required that appropriate transducers be provided for transferring the information into electric signals, and vice versa.

A large number of information storage cards of the types described above are often required in complex data processing systems. This is because millions of binary bits are often required to represent the information stored in such systems. The need arises, therefore, to provide some means for storing the cards in a manner in which they may be quickly and conveniently selected and fed into the processing apparatus.

In one type of prior art apparatus, for example, the information storage cards are maintained in stacked relationship in a feeding-stacking station, and the cards in the station are controllably fed in succession from the station to a suitable card transporting means. The cards are then carried by the transporting means past transducer atent heads which read the data on the cards and transform it into electrical signals, or which receive electrical signals representing new data and which respond to such signals to record new information on the cards.

Copending application 685,539, now US. Patent No. 2,901,247, filed September 23, 1957, in the name of Allan Orner discloses and claims an improved feeding-stacking station of the type under discussion in which different groups of cards are held in a stacked relationship in individual magazines. The magazines may conveniently be stored in a file block, and in accordance with the teachings of the Orner application, the magazines may be individual-ly removed from the file block and placed in a feedingstacking station of the card processing apparatus whenever a desired card, or group of cards, is to be processed.

The card processing apparatus of the copending Orner application 685,539 is constructed so that. a selected magazine of cards may be quickly snapped into place in a feeding-stacking station in a position to permit the cards to be fed sequentially to the transporting means. Copending application Serial No. 767,132, filed October 14, 1958, in the name of Alfred M. Nelson et al. is also directed to an improved card processing apparatus in which the movable magazines can be inserted into and Withdrawn from the feeding-stacking stations of the apparatus.

In the improved mechanism of the present invention, a structure is provided in each of the feeding-stacking stations to provide a supporting surface for" magazines such as those discussed in the preceding paragraphs. A file block may be provided which supports a plurality of magazines and which is movable transversely to the supporting surface. The file block may be controlled to position the magazines selectively in the plane of the supporting surface.

Then, and in a manner to be described in detail, a mechanism is controlled to engage the positioned magazine and to draw it from the file block. The with-drawn magazine is then moved along the supporting surface into position in the station. The magazine is then opened to permit the cards stacked in it to be sequentially transferred to a transporting medium. The transporting medium then carries the cards in succession past a processing station. After the processing of the cards has been completed, they are returned to the magazine, and the magazine then is returned by the mechanism of the invention to the file block.

The mechanism of the invention enables a magazine to be selected mechanically from the file block, and it enables the selected magazine to be rapidly and conveniently moved into position in the station. The invention, as will become apparent as the description proceeds, is relatively simple in its construction and in its operation.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a simplified form of card processing apparatus which is constructed to incorporate the present invention, the illustrated apparatus including a pair of feeding-stacking stations constructed in accordance with the invention and disposed adjacent a card transporting means in the form of a rotatable vacuum pressure drum;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a magazine positioned in one of the feeding-stacking stations, this particular magazine including a closure member at its forward end, and the magazine including appropriate guide means for permitting the closure member to be moved between an open and a closed position; this view also showing a pair of rotatable discs which selectively engage the sides of the magazine to cause it to be moved in and out of the station, and in and out of an associated file block;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a mechanism which is supported over the card transporting means and which serves to control the closure member at the end of the magazine in Figure 2 to open the magazine when it is in place;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing in somewhat schematic form a control for moving a stack of cards into the magazine to permit the'closure member of the magazine to be closed, this view also showing a control knob and actuating arm for controlling the move- .mentof the cards into the magazine;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the control'of Figure 9, taken essentially from the bottom of the supporting surface of the station and showing the linkage between the control knob referred to above and other components of the card moving mechanism;

Figure 6 is a top plan view, partly in section, of one of the feeding-stacking stations of Figure 1, this view illustrating the pair of disc-like members which are controlled selectively to engage the walls of a selected magazine, and which members are rotatable in one direction to cause the magazine to move out of the file block and into position in the station, and which members are rotatable in the opposite direction to return'the magazine to the file block;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of the mechanism of Figure 1, the latter view illustrating the elevational details of one of the drive discs of Figure 6, and the manner in which that disc is mounted and coupled to the other components of the mechanism;

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the assembly of Figure 6 substantially on the line 8-8 of Figure 6, this view illustrating the various components which cooperate to selectively move the disc-like members of Figure 6 in and out of engagement with the selected magazine, and this view also illustrating the manner in which rotational motion is introduced to the disc-like members; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 6, this latter view illustrating the manner in which the disc-like members of Figure 6 are pivotally mounted on a supporting post for movement in and out of engagement with the magazine.

The date processing apparatus and system of Figure 1 is shown as including a transport medium such as a vacuum transporting drum 10. This drum is constructed, for example, in the manner described and claimed in copending application 600,975, now U.S. Patent No. 2,883,- 189, which was filed July 30, 1956, in the name of Loren R. Wilson. The drum is rotatably mounted on a table top 12 for clockwise rotation, and it is capable of exerting a vacuum pressure at its peripheral surface. It is by means of this vacuum pressure that the information storage cards are held at spaced intervals on the peripheral surface of the drum for transportation from one station to another. It should be appreciated that the information storage cards may be any type of discrete elements capable of recording and reproducing a plurality of bits of information, as noted above.

Although drums such as the drum 10 are illustrated in the present specification for transporting the cards, any other suitable transport means may be used and such transport means does not necessarily have to be movable. For example, stationary transport means such as disclosed in copending application Serial No. 730,102, filed April 22, 1958, in the name of Eric Azari et al.; and in copending application Serial No. 731,413, filed April 28, 1958, in the name of Eric Azari, may be used.

A first transducing means 14 is mounted on the table top 12 and is positioned to be contiguous to the periphery of the drum 10. A second transducing means 16 may also be mounted on the table top 12. The second transducing means is postioned on the opposite side of the drum 10 from the transducing means 14, and the transducing means 16 is also positioned to be contiguous to the periphery of the drum. Each of the transducing means 14 and 16 may, for example, comprise a plurality of electromagnetic write or read transducer heads. Each of these transducer heads is positioned to sense and process a different row of data on each of the cards transported on the periphery of the drum 16 past the transducer means 14 or 16.

The transducer means 14- and 16, of course, are positioned to permit a card to be carried past their respective faces by the transport drum 10. Each of these transducer means serves to read data on the transported cards, or to write new data on the cards, as mentioned previously. Also, and as also mentioned, the type of transducer means corresponds to the particular type of recording by which the information is stored on the difierent cards.

A first reversible feeding-stacking station indicated generally as 18 is positioned on the table top 12 at one side of the drum 10 between the transducing means 14 and 16. A second reversible feeding-stacking station 20 is also positioned on the table top 12, the station 29 being positioned on the opposite side of the drum 10 from the station 18.

The station 18 includes a stack head 22 and it also includes a feed head 24. These heads may be constructed and controlled in a manner fully described in copending application 645,639 filed March 12, 1957, in the name of Alfred M. Nelson, et al. Briefly, the stack head 22 is movable from a stand-by position to the right in Figure 1 (as illustrated) to an operative position in which its end is contiguous with the periphery of the drum 10. In its operative position, the stack head engages cards transported on the peripheral surface of the drum and causes such cards to be moved from the peripheral surface so as to be deposited in the station 18.

The feed head 24 is movable in a slot 28 from a standby position to the left in Figure 1, to its illustrated operative position in which it extends partially across the mouth of the station to control the feed of cards from the station to the peripheral surface of the drum 10. This control is made through a vacuum pressure which the feed head exerts on the cards in the station, and which may be controllably interrupted by the control of a solenoid valve in the feed line to the head. Such a feed head is described in detail in the copending application 645,639 referred to above.

The station 18 also includes a pick-01f assembly 35 which may be constructed in the manner described and claimed in copending application 733,132, filed May 15, 1958, in the name of Eric Azari et al. The pick-off 35 extends radially outwardly from the periphery of the drum 10 and is mounted on a stationary position adjacent the leading wall of the station 18 with respect to the rotational movement of the drum 10. Any card carried through the mouth of the station 18 rides up over the pick-01f 35, and if such a card is arrested, its trailing end protrudes back from the pick-0E member. The succeeding card is then carried by the drum 1t} up over the member 35 and under the preceding card to strip the preceding card from the periphery of the drum 10 and deposit it in the station 18. In this manner, the proper sequence of the cards is maintained during a stacking mode of operation, with each succeeding card causing its preceeding card to be deposited in the station 1 8 in the proper order.

Copending application 645,639 fully describes the manner in which the feed head 24 and the stack head 22 may be moved between their stand-by and operative positions. Because the actual control and operation of the feed head and the stack head form no part of the present in-- vention, it is believed unnecessary to describe in detail the manner in which these heads are controlled. It is believed sufficient for the purposes of the present description to state that the heads may conveniently be controlled by mounting them on appropriate levers, and by.

providing a cam control for the levers. Such a control is described in copending application 645,639, and it provides for one of the heads to be moved to its operative position as the other is moved to a standby position, and vice versa.

The feeding-stacking station 20 may also include a feed head 36 which is movable in a slot 38, and it may include a stack head 40 which is movable in a slot 42. The stack head 40 and the feed head 38 may be similar to the corresponding heads 22 and 24 described in conjunction with the feeding-stacking station 18. The heads 36 and 40 may be controllably moved between their individual operative and stand-by positions in the same manner as described in copending application 645,639. The station 20 may also include a pick-01f 43 which is positioned adjacent the leading wall of that station. The pick-off 43 is similar to the pick-off 35 of the station 18, as described above, and it performs a similar function.

The station 18 includes a pair of parallel channels 44 and 46 which are formed in the table top 12. These channels form a pair of parallel guides, and the table top constitutes the supporting surface of the station 18. The guide channels 44 and 46 extend outwardly from the periphery of the drum 10, and they are spaced from one another.

A file block 45 is positioned adjacent the table top 12 to the rear of the station 18. The file block 45 (Figure 2) is constructed to hold a plurality of magazines, such as the illustrated magazine 48, in separate compartments positioned one over the other. The file block 45 is movable in a vertical direction, for example, transversely of the plane of the surface of the table top 12. The file block is controllable to position a selected one of the magazines in the plane of the supporting surface, so that the selected magazine may be withdrawn from the file block and moved into the station 18. The magazine 48, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, may be considered a selected magazine from the file block 45 which has been moved into place in the station 18.

The movement of the magazine 48 from the file block 45 into the station 18 is accomplished by means of a pair of discs 47 and 49 which are mounted on opposite sides of the path of the magazine 48. In a manner to be described, the discs 47 and 49 are movable from a disengaged position displaced outwardly from the walls of the magazine to a position in which they engage the opposite side walls of the selected magazine. Appropriate rotational motions are introduced to the discs 47 and 49 to enable them to withdraw the selected magazine 48 from the file block 45 and to move the magazine into an operative position in the station along a rectilinear path under the guiding action of the channels 44 and 46. At the termination of the processing of the cards in the magazine 48, the directions of rotation of the discs 47 and 49 are reversed so that the magazine may be returned to its compartment in the file block.

The magazine 48 is adapted to be moved into the feeding-stacking station 18 in the manner described above, and for that reason it is provided with a pair of depending portions 50 and 52 which are shaped to extend into respective ones of the guide channels 44 and 46. The magazine 48 is constructed to have an open bottom, and it has a pair of side walls 54 and 56 which are engaged by respective ones of the discs 47 and 49, as mentioned above. The magazine also has a top 55, and the side walls and top may be formed of integral construction by appropriately bending a sheet of any suitable material. The lower extremity of the side Wall 54 is fastened in a groove in the portion 50, and the lower extremity of the side 56 is fastened in a groove in the portion 52.

A pair of guide rails 58 and 60 (Figure 1 and 2) are positioned in the table top 12 adjacent respective ones of the channels 46 and 44 and extending parallel to the channels. The guide rails 58 and 60 extend upwardly above the top surface of the table top 12 by a slight amount, and they have a tapered configuration so as to present a pair of thin guiding surfaces to the lower edges of the cards which are held in a stacked relation in the magazine 48.

The portion 50 includes a groove 70 which extends along it from one end to the other. A resilient spring strip 72 is fastened at its forward end in the groove 70 by means, for example, of a pair of screws 74 (Figure 2). The strip 72 has a tendency to curl up on itself, and its rear end engages the rear of the card stack in the magazine. This spring therefore serves as a biasing means for resiliently forcing the card stack forward toward the front end of the magazine.

It should be noted that the constructional details of the magazine described above, and those to be described subsequently, are similar to the magazine disclosed and claimed in copending application Serial No. 767,132, filed October 14, 1958, in the name of Alfred M. Nelson et al.

The front end of the magazine is normally enclosed by a closure member as shown in Figure 2. Therefore, the stack of cards in the magazine is normally biased resiliently by the spring strip 72 against the back surface of the closure member 80. A guide bracket 82 is mounted on the top 55 of the magazine 48 at the front of the magazine and this guide bracket has a pair of upwardly extending grooves 84 and 86 which receive the opposite ends of the closure member 80.

The guide 82 permits the closure member 80 to be moved from a lower closed position to an upper open position. The closure member includes a pair of openings 88 and 90 which receive a corresponding pair of operating fingers, as will be described, which open or close the closure member when the magazine is moved into place in the station by the discs 47 and 49. The closure member 80 also includes a slot 92 which extends upwardly from its lower edge at a position essentially intermediate its side edges. The slot 92 permits a rod-like control to move into and out of the magazine in a manner to be described.

The grooves 44 and 46 terminate at positions spaced from the periphery of the drum 10, so that when the magazine is moved into place, it is arrested with its forward,

end facing the periphery of the drum but spaced from that periphery. As mentioned above, the magazine is moved into this position by the discs 47 and 49. When the magazine reaches its forward limiting position, these discs turn frictionally against the side walls of the magazine and are subsequently moved out into a disengaged relationship with the magazine. The magazine is arrested at a spaced position from the drum to permit the feed head 24 and the stack head 22 to be moved between their stand-by and operative positions without any interference from the magazine and without the need to provide excessive large openings in the magazine to receive these heads.

A small slot is formed in the front edge of the side wall 56. A guide 102 is positioned on the table top 12 adjacent the side wall 56 of the magazine when the magazine is in place, and the guide extends from the front edge of that wall to the periphery of the drum 10. The inner surface of the guide 102 cooperates with the inner surface of the side wall 56 in the manner described in the copending application 767,132 to present a smooth guiding surface for the cards from the front end of the magazine and along the inner surface of the guide member 102.

Assume that the magazine 48 is moved into place by the discs 47 and 49 into the position shown in Figure 1. Further assume the feed head 24 is moved to its illustrated operative position of Figure 1, and the stack head is retracted to its illustrated stand-by position of Figure 1. Under such circumstances, the opening of the closure member 80 causes the spring strip 72 to move the stack of cards out of the magazine 48 and into the space between the forward end of the magazine and the periphery of the drum 10. The left hand edge of each card so moved engages a surface 24a of the feed head 24 (Figure 1) and the right hand edge of each card engages the inner surface of the guide 102.

The 'cards are, therefore, maintained in their upright stacked condition as they are moved from the front of the magazine into the space between it and the drum 10. The leading card in the stack is then moved against the face 24b of the feed head 24, and this face engages the trailing portion of the front surface of the leading card. The leading portion of the front surface is forced against the periphery of the drum 10. As fully described in the copending application 645,639, a vacuum pressure is established at the face 24b of the feed head. This pressure is sufficient to overcome the vacuum pressure exerted on the leading card by the transport drum 10.

The guide member 102 has a tongue portion 106, as shown in Figure 1, which extends into close proximity with the periphery of the drum 10. The tongue portion 106 defines a throat with the periphery of the drum 10, and the transverse dimensions of this throat are such that one card at a time only can be passed through it for transport by the drum 10. Then, whenever the vacuum pressure at the surface 24b of the feed head 24 is removed, the leading card is swept by the drum through the throat defined by the tongue 106. In this manner, cards may be controllably fed fromthe feeding-stacking station 18 to the periphery of the transport drum 10.

As shown in Figure 1, an assist wheel 110 is suspended over the feed head 24, and this assist wheel extends through a slot 112 in the side wall 54 of the magazine 48 into engagement with the left hand edges of the cards held in the magazine. As fully described in copending application 665,496, filed June 13, 1957, in the name of Alfred Gray et al., this wheel is rotatably driven in a counter clockwise direction by appropriate driving means (not shown) to move the trailing edges of the cards away from the drum when the station 18 is in a stacking mode to prevent jamming of the cards at the mouth of the station. This wheel also serves to maintain the cards in a proper orientation when the station is in its feeding mode illustrated in Figure 1.

When the magazine 48 is moved by the discs 47 and 49 into the position shown in Figure 1 in the feeding-stacking station 18, it is moved against the mechanism shown in Figure 3. This mechanism is not shown in Figure 1, so that the other components in the feeding-stacking station 18 may be more clearly shown in Figure 1. The assembly of Figure 3 is supported on a U-shaped bracket 120 which is supported on the table top 12 by means of a plurality of screws such as the screws 122. The bracket 120 extends over the top of the drum 10 and across the mouth of the station 18. The edge 124 of the bracket 120 faces the forward end of the magazine 48, when the magazine is moved forward into position in the station by the discs 47 and 49. This edge 124 of the bracket has an L-shaped guide bracket 126 secured to it by means,

for example, of screws such as the screw 128.

The guide bracket 126 extends across the space between the forward end of the magazine 48 and the peripheral edge of the drum 10. The lower surface of the guide bracket 126, as well as the lower surface of the bracket 120, cooperate to guide the upper edges of the cards from the magazine 48 into position in the space between the forward end of the magazine and the periphery of the drum. The cards in this space are supported, therefore, on the guide rails 58 and 60 between the feed head 24 and the guide member 102, and below the guide bracket 126 and the bracket 12%.

A rotor-type solenoid 130 of known construction is supported by a bracket arm 132 at a position above the bracket 120, the arm 132 being secured to the bracket 120 by a plurality of screws, not shown. The solenoid 130 has an operating arm 136, and this arm moves, for example, through a 45 degree are from a lower angular position to an upper angular position when the solenoid is energized, and the arm returns to its lower angular position when the solenoid is de-energized. The arm 136 is coupled to .a movable plate 138 through an appropriate coupling 140. The coupling 140 includes an L- shaped bracket 142 which is secured to the plate 138, and it includes a pin 144 which rotatably engages the free extremity of the solenoid arm 136.

The plate 138 is slidably mounted between a pair of blocks 146 and 148 for vertical reciprocal motion. The blocks 146 and 148 are fixed to the upper surface of the bracket 120 by any appropriate means. Each of these blocks has a plurality of bearings, such as the bearings 150, mounted on it. These bearings extend through slots in the member 138 and they permit the member to be moved upwardly and downwardly with respect to the top surface of the bracket 120.

A plate 152 is secured in an upright position to the blocks 146 and 148 by a plurality of screws, such as the screws 154. The plate 152 is supported by the blocks in a position facing the guide bracket 82 of the magazine 48 (Figure 2) when the magazine is in plac'e in the position shown in Figure 1. The plate 152 has a pair of slots 156 and 158 extending in spaced parallel relationship upwardly from its lower edge. A pair of fingers 160 and 162 extend through corresponding ones of the slots 156 and 158, and these fingers are attached to the plate 138.

When the solenoid 130 is energized, its arm 136 rotates to move the plate 138 from its lower position to its upper position with respect to the bracket 120. This, in turn, causes the fingers 160 and 162 to move from their lower position to their upper position in their corresponding slots 156 and 158. When the solenoid 130 is de-energized, 0n the other hand, the fingers 16% and 162 return to their lower position in the corresponding slots. The openings 88 and 90 in the closure member of Figure 2 are positioned in respective axial alignment with the fingers 160 and 162 of Figure 3. Therefore, when the magazine 48 is moved into place in the position shown in Figure l, the fingers 160 and 162 are normally in their lower position extending into the corresponding openings 88 and of the closure member 81). Then, when the solenoid is energized so as to move the fingers and 162 to their upper position, the fingers move the closure member to an open position, and the cards in the magazine are moved by the resilient strip 72 in the described manner from the magazine into the space between it and the transport drum 10.

When the feeding-stacking station 18 of Figure l is conditioned to its stacking mode, the stack head 22 is brought forward to the left in Figure l to its operative position and the feed head 24, at the same time, is retracted to the left in Figure l to its stand-by position. This control, as mentioned above, may be in accordance with the control mechanism described in the copending application 645,639. The stack head 22 is preferably constructed in the manner described in copending application Serial No. 715,926, filed February 18, 1958, in the name of Eric Azari et al., to have a central slot which receives the tongue 106 when the stack head is in its operative position so that the stack head may completely fill the throat formed by that tongue and the periphery of the drum 10 so as to arrest any card transported to it by the drum.

The pick-off member 35, as mentioned above, may be constructed in the manner explained in copending application 733,132. As mentioned above, this pick-off serves to hold the trailing edge of each card that has been arrested by the stack head 22, and to maintain that trailing edge in a position away from the periphery of the drum 10. This permits the next succeeding card to ride up over the pick-off 35 under the preceding card and assures that each card will be deposited in the station 48 in its proper sequence.

The cards transported to the station 18 when the station is in its stacking mode are deposited one after the other into the space between the forward end of the magazine 48 and the periphery of the transport drum 10. The closure member 80 is open at this time so that as the stack of cards in this space grows, the cards are forced back into the magazine.

This stacking operation may be continued until all the cards that are to be deposited in the station 18 are in the magazine 48 and in the space between the front end of the magazine and the periphery of the drum 10. Then, the actuation of a control knob 200 in Figures 1 and 4 causes an upright pin member 202 to move in a slot 204 in the table top 12. The movement of this member is from the left in Figure l in front of the leading card in the stack which extends between the pickotf 35 and the stack head 22. This upright pin member 202 moves across the front face of the leading card, and as the rotation of the knob 200 is continued, the pin 202 moves into a portion of the slot 204 which extends back toward the mouth of the magazine 48. The latter motion of the pin causes the leading card to be moved from the periphery of the drum and urges the stack of cards back into the magazine 48.

Therefore, the rotation of the knob 200 causes the stack of cards in this space between the front end of the magazine 48 and the periphery of the drum 10 to be moved back into the magazine 48 against the force of the spring 72. Although the control knob 200 is illustrated for purposes of convenience as being suitable for manual operation, it Will be appreciated that control of the pin 202 may be made through any suitable automatic control agency.

After the cards have been moved back into the magazine 48, the closure member 80 may be moved to its closed position by de-energizing the solenoid 130. The

cards are now trapped in the magazine, the pin 202 may now be retracted back through the slot 92 (Figure 2) in the closure member.

The control knob 200 and the pin 202, together with their interconnecting linkage, are shown in more detail in Figure 4 and 5. As shown in these latter figures, the knob 200 is secured to a control shaft 206 which extends through the table top 12. The control shaft 206 is rotatably mounted in a bracket 208 secured to the under side of the table top 12. The lower end of the shaft is fixed to an actuating arm 210 which extends across the under side of the table top from the bracket 208. The free end of the arm 210 is rotatably coupled to a corner of a triangular-shaped linkage member 212, the arm being so coupled to the linkage through bearings, not shown. A second corner of the triangular linkage 212 rotatably supports a bearing which extends into a guide groove 219 in the under side of the table top 12. The pin 202 is secured to the third corner of the triangular member and, as described, this pin extends up through the slot 204 in the table top.

The guide groove 219 has a selected arcuate shape so that rotation of the arm 210 by the actuation of the knob 200 about the axis of rotation of the shaft 206 causes the triangular linkage 212 to impart the desired motion to the pin 202 in the slot 204. This motion, as described above, is first in an essentially tangential direction with respect to the periphery of the drum 10 to move along the lead card in the space between the magazine and the drum. The motion is then in a radial direction away from the periphery of the drum 10 and into the magazine 48 to move the stack of cards through the front end of the magazine and back into the magazine.

A magazine of cards may, therefore, be drawn from the file block 45 of Figures 1 and 2 and into the station 18 by means of the disc-like members 47 and 49. The station may then be conditioned to its feeding mode. Then, the energizing of the solenoid 130 causes the closure member 80 of the magazine to be opened so that the cards are moved from the magazine into the space between the forward end of the magazine and the periphery of the drum 10. The cards may then be controllably fed to the drum by interrupting the vacuum pressure at the face 24b of the feed head 24 at controlled times. The cards so transported on the drum are carried past the transducer means 14 at which information on the cards may be read, or new information may be Written on the cards.

During the sequence of operations described in the preceding paragraph, the station 20 may be set to its stacking mode so that the cards are deposited into that station and into its associated magazine. At the completion of the operation, the cards in the station 20 may be moved into the magazine in that station and the magazine closed in the manner described above. Conversely, the cards may be returned to their original magazine 48 in the station 18. For the latter operation, the station 2% is conditioned to its feeding mode and the station 18 is set to its stacking mode. The cards may be additionally processed by the transducer means 16 on their return to the station 18.

At the end of the operation described in the preceding paragraph, the cards may be shifted into the magazine 48 by the control knob 200. Then, the solenoid 130 may be de-energized to close the closure member 80, and the discs 47 and 49 may then be brought into their engaged position and provided with the required rotational motion to withdraw the magazine and return it to its compartment in the file block 45.

The above description of the details of the magazine 48, and the mechanism for opening its closure member are, as mentioned above, fully described in copending application 767,132. The particular magazine and its associated mechanism may actually be considered to represent a typical magazine and may be controlled by the apparatus of the invention to be moved in and out of a file block and into and out of an associated feedingstacking station.

The manner in which the disc-like members 47 and 49 are controlled is shown in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive. As mentioned above, the disc-like members 47 and 49 are movable from a disengaged position to an engaged position. In the disengaged position, the members 47 and 49 are displaced outwardly from the path of the magazine 48 so as not to engage the magazine. However, in the engaged position, the members 47 and 49- contact the side walls of the magazine. The members 47 and 49 are also capable of being individually rotated in either direction so that the magazine 48 may be drawn from the tile block and introduced into the station 18 at the beginning of the operation, and so that the magazine may then be withdrawn from the station and returned to the file block at the end of the operation.

The mechanisms of Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, has a housing 300 (Figure 6) which is secured to the under side of the table top 12 of Figure 1 by suitable screws extending through apertures 302 in bnackets 304 and 306 secured to the housing.

The disc-like member 47 is mounted on a bracket 310, and the disc-like member 49 is mounted on a bracket 312. The bracket 310 is pivotally mounted on a drive shaft 313, and the bracket 312 is also pivotally mounted on the shaft 313. The bracket 310 has a portion which extends under the table top from the disc-like member 47 and along an axis essentially parallel to the path of the magazine to a sprocket shaft 314. The bracket 310 has a second portion which extends essentially perpendicularly to the first portion and towards a second sprocket shaft 316. Finally, the bracket 310 has a third portion which extends rearwardly in the housing 300 of Figure 6. The bracket 310, therefore, has a Z-like configuration and is pivotally mounted on the shaft 313.

The bracket 312 also has a Z-like configuration, when viewed in plan, and (as noted) also is piv-otally mounted on the shaft 313. The bracket 312 has an intermediate portion which extends over the intermediate portion'of the bracket 310, and it has a third portion which extends rearwardly in the housing 3% in spaced and essentially parallel relationship with the third portion of the bracket 310. A spring 318 has one end fastened to a stud 32%.) at the rear extremity of the Z-shaped bracket 310, and the other end of the spring 318 is fastened to a stud 322 at the rear extremity of the Z-shaped bracket 312. This spring normally tensions the rear extremities of the brackets 310 and 312 so as to bias these extremities towards one another. This causes the respective brackets to have a tendency to rotate about the shaft 313, so that the disc-like members 47 and 49 are normally urged outwardly to a disengaged position with respect to the side walls of the magazine 48.

The bracket 310 has a cam follower 324 rotatably mounted an ear-like portion adjacent the spring 318. Likewise, the bracket 312 has a cam follower 326 rotatably mounted on an ear portion in facing relationship with the cam follower 324. A cam 328 is affixed to a vertical shaft 330 by means of a pin 332, the cam being positioned between the cam followers 324 and 326. The shaft 331) is rotatably mounted in appropriate bearings in the housing 330. The cam 328 is shaped so that when the shaft 390 has a first angular position, the cam followers 324 and 326 are moved inwardly by the spring 318 to move the discs 47 and 49 to their disengaged position. However, upon the energizing of a rotatable-type solenoid 331 (Figure 7), the shaft 333 is rotated through 90 degrees, to cause humped portions of the cam 328 to engage the cam followers 324 and 326 so that the brackets 310 and 312 become pivoted about the shaft 313 against the tension of the spring 318. This causes the discs 47 and 49 to move inwardly towards the path of the magazine to engage the side walls of the magazine for the reasons described above.

The Z-shaped bracket 310 and its associated components are shown in more detail in Figure 7, and it will be understood that the components associated with the bracket 312 may be similar in their construction. The bracket 310 includes an upper arm 332 and the lower arm 333. The upper arm 332 of the bracket 31% extends to the disc 47 at an inclination to the under side of the table top, and the lower arm 333 of the bracket 310 extends essentially parallel to the table top. A cylindrically shaped magazine 334 is formed integrally with the remote ends of the arms 31% and 333. A drive shaft 336 is rotatably supported in the magazine 334 by a pair of brackets 338 and 340. The disc-shaped member 47 is affixed to the top of the drive shaft 336 to be rotated thereby. As shown in Figure 7, the disc 47 conveniently has a rim of rubber-like material.

The arms 332 and 333 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 314, and a pulley 340 is keyed to the lower end of the shaft. A drive belt 342 couples the pulley 340 to a pulley 344, the latter pulley being keyed to the bottom of the shaft 336. Therefore, rotation of the shaft 314 produces corresponding rotation of the disc 47. A sprocket wheel 346 is mounted on the shaft 314 to transmit rotational motion to the shaft and produce the desired rotation of the disc 47.

As best shown in Figure 9, the shaft 313 is rotatably mounted in the housing 300 between a lower retainer 350 and an upper retainer 352. The shaft is rotatably mounted in the retainers by a pair of bearings 354 and 356. The retainer 352 is secured to the housing 300 by screws such as the screw 360, and the retainer 351) is secured to the housing by similar screws.

As also shown in Figure 9, the pulley 340 is keyed to the sprocket shaft 314 by a suitable key 362 and is held in place on the shaft by a retainer ring 364. The shaft 314 is rotatably mounted between the upper arm 332 and the lower arm 333 of the bracket 310 in respective bearings 364 and 366. The sprocket wheel 12 346 is held fast on the shaft 314 by an appropriate set screw 368. The sprocket wheel 346 is driven by a gear 376, the gear 370 being keyed to the shaft 313 and being disposed in meshing relationship with the gear 346.

The bracket 312 likewise has an upper arm 372 and a lower arm 374. The sprocket shaft 316 is rotatably mounted in the bracket 312 between the arms 372 and 374 by a pair of bearings 376 and 378. A pulley 380 is keyed to the lower end of the shaft 316 by means of a suitable key 382, and a drive belt 384 couples the shaft 316 to the lower end of the shaft which drives the disc 49. Therefore, rotational motion of the shaft 316 is transmitted through the belt 384 to the disc 49.

A pulley 386 is keyed to the shaft 313 between the gear 370 and the upper arm 332 of the bracket 310. A belt 388 couples the pulley 386 to a second pulley 390 which is keyed to the shaft 316. Therefore, rotation of the central shaft 313 in a first direction causes the sprocket shaft 314 and the disc 47 to rotate in one direction through the coupling between the gear 370 and sprocket 346; and such rotation of the central shaft 313 causes the sprocket shaft 316 and the disc 49 to rotate in the opposite direction through the coupling of the belt 388. Therefore, rotation of the central shaft 313 in one direction causes the discs 47 and 49 to rotate in the mutually opposite directions required to move the magazine 48 into the station; whereas rotation of the central shaft 313 in the opposite direction causes the discs 47 and 49 to rotate in the opposite directions necessary to withdraw the magazine from the station. Moreover, rotation of the shaft 330 of Figure l to one angular position causes the discs to be moved inwardly by the spring 318 to engage the side walls of the magazine; whereas the rotation through degrees of the shaft 330 causes the discs to move outwardly to a disengaged position.

A pulley 392 is keyed to the lower end of the drive shaft 313, and a belt 394 couples the pulley 392 to a pulley 396 (Figure 8). The latter pulley is secured to the drive shaft of a motor 398. Therefore, the appropriate drive by the motor 398 in one direction dauses the discs 47 and 49 to move the magazine 48 into the station, and the drive by the motor 398 in the opposite direction causes the magazine to be withdrawn.

The invention provides, therefore, a new and improved feeding-stacking station in which magazines may be mechanically withdrawn from an associated file block and moved into place, and by which magazines may be mechanically returned to the file block on the completion of the processing of the cards contained therein.

The mechanism of the invention has a fail-safe feature in that the mal-functioning of the solenoid which moves the discs 47 and 49 into position causes the shaft 330 in Figure 6 to turn to a position in which the spring 318 will move the discs to their disengaged position.

The mechanism of the invention is advantageous in that it may conveniently be used to engage the magazine 48 in a simple and straightforward manner, which permits the magazines to be mechanically withdrawn from the associated file block and moved into place in the feeding-stacking station, and to subsequently be mechanically returned to the file block.

I claim:

1. ln apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards and in which the cards are held in a stacked relationship in at least one removable magazine, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a structure disposed to define a supporting surface for the magazine and along which the magazine may be moved on a particular path between a first position displaced from the transport means and a second position in the vicinity of the transport means, drive members supported on opposite sides of the paths of the magazine, a control mechanism mechanically coupled to the drive members for moving the drive members with .re-

spect to the path of the magazine between a disengaged first position and a second position in which the drive members engages the magazine to obtain a drive by the member of the magazine along the particular path, and means coupled to the drive members for introducing motion to the drive members to obtain a drive by the members of the magazine in the engaged position of the members.

2. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards and in which the cards are held in a stacked relationship in at least one removable magazine, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a structure disposed to define a supporting surface for the magazine and along which the magazine may be reciprocally moved between a first position displaced from the transport means and a second position in the vicinity of the transport means, means coupled to the magazine in the second position of the magazine for obtaining a controlled transfer of the cards between the magazine and the transport means, a pair of rotatable drive members supported on opposite sides of the magazine, a control mechanism mechanically coupled to the drive members for moving the drive members traus versely with respect to the path of the magazine between a disengaged first position and a second position in which the drive members engage the magazine to drive the magazine along the particular path, and means coupled to the drive members for introducing rotational motion to the drive members to obtain a drive by the members.

3. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards and in which the cards are held in a stacked relationship in at least one removable magazine having a spaced parallel side wall, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a structure disposed to define a supporting surface for the magazine and along which the magazine may be reciprocally moved on a linear path between a first position displaced from the transport means and a second position in the vicinity of the transport means, means coupled to the magazine in the second position of the magazine for obtaining a controlled transfer of cards between the magazine and the transport means, a pair of rotatable drive members supported on opposite sides of the magazine in a direction transverse to the path of movement of the magazine, a control mechanism coupled to the drive members for moving the members in mutually opposite directions transversely with respect to the path of the magazine between a disengaged first position and a second position in which the drive members are in a position to engage the spaced side walls of the magazine, and means coupled to the drive members for imparting first rotational motions to the members to cause the magazine to be moved along the linear path from its first position to its second position and for imparting second rotational motions to the drive members to cause the magazine to be moved along the linear path from its second position to its first position.

4. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards and in which the cards are held in a stacked relationship in at least one removable magazine having a pair of spaced parallel side walls, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a structure disposed to define a supporting surface for the magazines and along Which the magazine may be reciprocally moved on a linear path between a first position displaced from 65 the transport means and a second position in the vicinity of the transport means, means coupled to the magazine in the second position of the magazine for obtaining a controlled transfer of cards between the magazine and the transport means, a pair of rotatable drive members 70 supported on opposite sides of the path of the magazine, a control mechanism including resilient means coupled to the drive members for normally holding the drive members in a disengaged first position and further including actuating means for moving the drive members against 75 14 the action of the resilient means from the disengaged first position to a second position in which the drive memhere are in a position to engage the spaced side walls of the magazine, and means coupled to the drive members for imparting first rotational motions to the drive members in their second position to cause the magazine to be moved along the linear path from its first position to its second position and for imparting to the drive members second rotational motions opposite to the first rotational motions to cause the magazine to be moved along the linear path from its second position to its first position.

5. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards and in which the cards are held in a stacked relationship in a plurality of removable magazines, the combination of: utilization means for the cards, a structure disposed to define a supporting surface for the magazines and along which the magazines may be individually moved in a particular path between a first position displaced from the utilization means, a file structure for the magazines and movable along a path transverse to the supporting surface to selectively bring the magazines into the plane of the supporting surface at said first displaced position in the particular path, at least one drive member disposed in coupled relationship to the selectively positioned magazines for moving selectively positioned magazines along the particular path on the supporting surface, a control mechanism mechanically coupled to the drive member for moving the drive member between a disengaged first position and a second position in which the drive member engages selectively positioned magazines, and means coupled to the drive member for causing the drive member to move the selectively positioned magazine along said particular path.

6. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards and in which the cards are held in a stacked relationship in a plurality of removable magazines, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a structure disposed to define a supporting surface for the magazines and along which the magazines may be individually and reciprocally moved in a particular linear path between a first position displaced from the transport means and a second position in the vicinity of the transport means, means coupled to the magazine in the selected position of the magazine for obtaining a controlled transfer of the cards between a selected one of the magazines and the transporting means, a file structure for the magazines and movable along a path transverse to the supporting surface to bring the selected magazine into the plane of the supporting surface at said first position in said path, a pair of drive members supported on opposite sides of the path of the magazine in a direction transverse to the particular path, a control 5 mechanism mechanically coupled to the drive members for moving the members in mutually opposite directions transversely with respect to the particular path of the selected magazine between a disengaged first position and a second position in which the drive members engage the selected magazine positioned at the first displaced position in the plane of the supporting surface by the file structure, and means coupled to the drive members for introducing motions in first directions to the members to cause the same to withdraw the selected magazine from the file structure and to move the selected magazine along the linear path from the first displaced position thereon to the second position in the vicinity of the transporting means and for subsequently introducing second motions to the drive members in second directions opposite to the first directions to return the magazine to the file structure.

7. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a magazine movable along a particular path to a first position for a transfer of cards between the magazine and the transport means and movable along the particular path to a second position out of coupled relationship with the transport means, and constructed to hold the cards in the plurality in stacked relationship, means coupled to the magazine in the first position of the magazine for providing a controlled transfer of cards between the transport means and the magazine, drive means coupled to the magazine in a first position to drive the magazine between the first and second positions and disposed in a second position out of coupled relationship with the magazine, and means coupled to the drive means for obtaining a controlled movement of the drive means between the first and second positions.

8. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a magazine movable between a first position out of coupled relationship with the transport means and a second position for a transfer of cards between the transport means and the magazine and constructed to hold the cards in the plurality in stacked relationship, drive means movable between a first position out of coupled relationship with the magazine and a second position in coupled relationship to the magazine, means coupled to the drive means for obtaining a controlled movement of the drive means between the first and second positions, and means coupled to the drive means in the second position of the drive means for actuating the drive means in a direction to obtain a movement of the magazine to a selected one of the first and second positions.

9. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a file selector having a plurality of magazines each movable to a particular position for transfer of the magazine into coupled relationship with the transport means and each constructed to hold the cards in the plurality in stacked relationship, drive means disposed for coupling to each of the magazines in the plurality in the particular position of the magazine to obtain a transfer of the magazine into coupled relationship with the transport means, and means coupled to the drive means for coupling the drive means to each of the magazines in the plurality in the particular position of the magazme.

10. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a magazine constructed to hold the cards in the plurality in stacked relationship and movable between a first position out of coupled relationship with the transport means and a second position in which the cards are capable of being transferred between the transport means and the magazine, drive means pivotable between a first position out offrictionally coupled relationship with the magazine and a second position in frictional relationship with the magazine, first means coupled to the drive means for exerting a force on the drive means 'to maintain the drive means in the first pivotable position,

second means coupled to the drive means for moving the drive means to the second pivotable position against the action of the first means, and means coupled to the drive means in the second pivotable position of the drive means to actuate the drive means in a direction to move the magazine to a desired one of the first and second positions of the magazine.

11. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards, the combination of: transport means for the cards, a magazine constructed to hold the cards in the plurality in stacked relationship and movable between a first position out of coupled relationship with the transport means and a second position in which the cards are capable of being transferred between the transport means and the magazine, a shaft, a pair of brackets pivotally mounted on the shaft for pivotal movement in opposite directions, a pair of friction wheels each mounted at a first end of a different one of the brackets in the pair to engage the magazine in one pivotal position of the brackets for driving the magazine between the first and second positions, means including a spring coupled to the brackets at second ends of the brackets opposite to the first ends to pivotally position the brackets for a disposition of the friction wheels away from the magazine, and means including a cam coupled to the brackets at the second ends of the brackets and having a configuration in one position to pivot the brackets in a direction for producing a driving engagement between the wheels and the magazine.

12. In apparatus for processing data on a plurality of information storage cards, the combination of: transport means forjthe cards, a magazine constructed to hold the cards in stacked relationship and movable between a first position removed from the transport means and a second position relative to the transport means for providing a transfer of the cards between the transport means and the magazine, a friction wheel having properties of driving the magazine between the first and second positions upon an engagement between the wheel and the magazine, positioning means coupled to the friction wheel for maintaining the friction wheel in a first position out of engagement with the magazine, means including a cam coupled to the positioning means for moving the positioning means and the wheel to a second position for providing an engagement between the wheel and the magazine, and means operatively coupled to the wheel in the second position of the wheel for driving the wheel in a direction to move the magazine between a particular one of the first and second positions and the other of the first and second positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 215,058 Harlow May 6, 1879 556,026 Robertson Mar. 10, 1896 2,901,247 Orner Aug. 25, 1959 

